DAIRY HINTS

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1932, Page 10

DAIRY HINTS

WASHING THE PLANT. TESTING RUBBER. Valuable advice on lioav tlic vaw material may be improved Avas given by Mr .7. Wallace Smith, North Auckland District dairy instructor, addressing the annual meeting of the Springhead Dairy -Company yesterday. Mr Smith emphasised the necessity for improving the quality of our produce in order to maintain our position on the English market. A regulation was now in force, he said, that boiling Avater must be provided at every shed. If plants could be sterilised, so much the heller, and Mr Smith explained how an ordinary copper could easily be converted into a steriliser.

The air system and the milk system were closely related in milking plants. If boiling water was used in washing a four-cow plant, a teaspoonfnl - of caustic soda to four gallons was necessary, and for water not quite so hot the amount should be increased to a tablespoonful. Afterwards the plant should be rinsed through with clean boiling water.

To disprove the theory that caustic soda was harmful to rubber, Mr Smith produced two lengths of tubing which had been used for five years, and were still in excellent condition.

When buying rubber, farmers should see that it cut clean, without knots m packing showing. Those using soft inflations should secure three sets for every set of teat cups, place them in ail airtight tin with French chalk, and use them in rotation, changing every three weeks. This would increase' the life of the inflations, so that only 21 sets would be necessary for a season.

Rubber required to be well - seasoned—car makers saw to that, and this explained the fact that the first set of tyres usually lasted the longest.

Tu washing; a. plant, the operation should he commenced from both ends alternately.

The provision of covered cream stands, and the necessity for -cans being properly covered during their transit to the factory, were also stressed by Mr Smith. Rotten, fermented. and inferior cream was usually caused, he said, by carelessness on the part of the operator.